About the Author:Bob Zagami is an international author and lecturer with over 30 years of sales and marketing experience. Bob is a recognized expert in the document management industry. He has studied the RV industry as a hobby for twenty years and has owned several motorhomes and trailers.

Bob is available for consulting services, seminars, and writing assignments. You can reach him at 978-461-2143 or via e-mail (zagami@rv-news.com).

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I was recently asked to accompany a supplier company on a few sales
calls in Indiana to consult with them and evaluate the lack of activity from
those who had previously represented this company to the RV manufacturing
community.

The company and the product are not significant here, and I would obviously
never disclose my consulting clients in print, especially when using the
experience (with their permission) to highlight a sales problem that may be
affecting other companies with similar distribution and representation
arrangements.

Frustration had built up with the manufacturer and the company that
was supposed to be selling their products, but the results clearly showed
they were either not showing the product, could not relate the benefits of the
product to specific customer requirements, or were simply order takers just
waiting for somebody to pick up the telephone and buy something. One
thing was very clear, they were not sales professionals and they were not
doing what they were getting paid to do.

It is one thing to present the product, show the solution, and challenge
for the business thats exciting and it should be happening every day in
Indiana and elsewhere in the RV industry. I cant think of anything better
than being a young sales rep just getting started in the RV industry and having
Indiana as my territory. Im going to request that if I get a second shot
and a new life when this trip is over what a goldmine of opportunity!

The product manufactured by this company does not sell itself, in fact
most products dont. You have to understand what the product does and
who could benefit from its use. Its a value-added product, not a cost reduction
product. As such, if the sales reps can not show the manufacturer that
they can sell more units with this feature on their product, then they will
never sell it at all because it costs more than the current systems being used
by most people in the industry.

I know it is more work, and obviously more work than some companies
and order takers are willing to perform to get their paycheck but isnt that
what sales is all about. Find a problem and present a solution. Find a way
to improve your prospects bottom line. You can do that by reducing a piece
part cost, or incorporating value-added features that will enhance the overall
interest in the product and present consumers with features that they feel
are absolutely essential to enjoy the RV lifestyle as we know it today.

Order takers are a dime a dozen. No heavy lifting, in late and out early,
and they should be embarrassed to carry a business card that has the word
"sales" anywhere on it. If you have order takers, then call them customer
service representatives because they sure are not selling anything.

It was quite evident that the suppliers product was just not being represented
in the way that it had to be in order to be of interest to a manufacturer.
What was needed was a professional sales presentation that would validate
the higher cost of the product by enhancing the overall value of the RV
and thus making it attractive to a wider range of consumers who would buy
the finished product that will increase total sales and bottom line profits.

One of our sales calls produced a completely different set of circumstances
than what the company had previously experienced with several RV
manufacturers. The call was set up with the key decision makers in the
company. Order takers dont talk to decision makers. First, they dont know
how to get to them, and if or when they do, they dont know what to say that
justifies the higher cost of a product that produces better bottom line results
than a lower cost product that actually increases the overall cost of the RV
through inordinately high product
failure rates or expensive
warranty repair costs both of
which also cost the manufacturer
customer confidence and loyalty,
and may drive them to a
different company the next time
they buy an RV.

Once in front of key decision
makers there has to be respect
for both companies, which is
what we found during our call.
The supplier company was fully
prepared to demonstrate their
product and explain the value
that it brings to the overall
RVing experience. The manufacturing
company could see
that it was something different,
something of value, and it certainly
addressed a need that
has been expressed by many
RVers over the years.

Perhaps even more important
was the dialog between
both companies. It was very
comfortable and professional.
The reason for this was the
quality of the people in the
room, and the mutual respect
for each others reason for being
there in the first place.

Many times it will be the
manufacturer who actually
presents an uncomfortable environment
for either an order
taker or a sales professional
because all they want to look at
is a lower cost of doing business.
While this is certainly
important, they fail to realize
that there is nothing wrong with
paying more money for new or
better products that may
increase the cost of manufacturing,
but still produce a more
acceptable product that the
consumer wants. When this
happens, overall profits go up
because the company sells
more, makes them better,
makes them faster, and produces
a more reliable end product
that enhances the true customer
experience.

Many times it will be the
supplier sales rep that actually
makes the meeting worthless. If
they are just taking up space
and time and not showing any
value-added for a product or
service, then the manufacturer
is not going to buy anything. If
this type of relationship is prolonged,
then the manufacturer
will eventually stop meeting
with the person, thus depriving
the company they represent of
any future business because
the manufacturer sees no value
in talking to them.

The objective of any sales
call is to determine if the
prospect has any problems or
concerns that could be
addressed with the products or
services offered by a sales rep.
An order taker has no hope,
they simply ask for business, or
write business that is handed to
them, but they never develop
business opportunities that will
sustain and build a relationship
over time.

The next objective is to
advance the conversation and
continue discussions to refine
the problem, identify and present
a solution, demonstrate a
clear return on investment and
improvements to the current
way they are doing business
the result is a win-win situation
for all concerned.

The supplier company will
have proved the value of their
product or service and argued
their case successfully. The
manufacturing company saw
true value and profit improvement
in the solution being proposed
and has validated it within
the company and made the
critical decision to change the
way they were doing business
and incorporated the new product
or service into their production
process.

Once the changes are made
and new RVs are being shipped
with enhanced features that
change the customer perception
of the product; sales increase,
profits increase, and a relationship
is established because
everybody understood their role
in the process, and worked
together to accomplish a goal.

Like many other things
today, the role of the sales rep
is changing. They must become
a sales professional and work
toward developing partnerships
and not sales calls. They must
clearly understand the
prospects business and be able
to communicate effectively to
understand problems or areas
of concern that may present
opportunities for success.

Order takers are history
or should be. They waste time
and produce no value-added to
the sales experience.

Customers expect more from
the sales people that call on
them, or they just wont see
them. The biggest complaint we
get today from sales people is
that prospects wont see them
and they cant get appointments.
And they are right.
Customers are getting smarter
and sales people are not
responding or changing to this
dynamic. Therefore, their
prospects and customers are
just not going to waste anymore
time with them.

Sales people who can
change, or who have already
changed, and adapted to the
new world order of sales, will be
extremely successful. They are
the ones who understand that
there must be a reason for
somebody to see them and they
will find out what that reason
is. They are the ones who will
be able to uncover problems
and concerns and present
believable solutions. They are
the ones who understand how
to show a return on investment
and are capable of selling solutions
and not products.
Solutions solve problems and
demand a higher cost that
shows a payback. Anybody can
sell products, especially if all
they want to do is keep cutting
prices. Thats not selling, thats
order taking. And its not going
to work.